Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



No. 63|,554. Patented Aug. 22, |899, T. BELL.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application led Nov. 15, 1897.)

(Nq Model.)

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rIII-IOMAS BELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAs-GENERATING LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming 'pare of Letters Patent No. 631,554, dated August 22, 189e.

Application filed November 15, 1897. Serial No. 658,579. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concer-n:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BELL, of Chi- .portable type, such as are adapted for use in lamps to be used on bicycles and other vehicles and in which the gas is generated by the union of a solid and a liquid-such, for example, as calcium carbid and water.

My invention has for its object to provide an automatic generator in which the supply of Water to the carbid is positively and automatically controlled by the pressure of the generated gas, which generator shall be of superior simplicity of construction and compactness and particularly adapted for use by those inexperienced in the handling of the materials employed.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In' the accompanying drawing the ligure represents a central vertical sectional view of a generator embodying my invention in one form. f

In the said drawing, 10 indicates a water chamber or reservoir, preferably cylindrical in form and which in the construction shown is provided with a bottom 11, composed of or comprising an elastic diaphragm, which may be made of spring metal or other suitable material. This water-reservoir is closed at the top by means of a cover 12, which is removably connected with the body of the reservoir in any suitable manner. In practice I prefer to eect this connection by providing the reservoir proper with a metallic ring or annulus 13 interiorly at its upper portion, said ring being internally threaded, and the cover 12 being provided with a similar ring 14, having a depending flange 15, which is externally threaded to screw into the ring 13 and form a gas-tight joint. A suitable packing may be employed between the two rings, if found desirable or necessary, in order to insure a tight joint.

cated is secured in position therein by means of an external ring or annulus 17, which is secured to the outside of the generating-chamber and which is externally threaded to screw intoV the internally-threaded vertical flange 15 of the ring 14. The ring 17 is provided with a shoulder 18, which by its abutment :against the lower end of the flange 15 serves to assure the proper position of the generating-chamber within the water-reservoir when screwed into place. I

In the bottom of the generating-chamber 16 there is provided an inlet-opening 19, controlled by a valve 20, and vabove said inletopening there extends upward into the generating-chamber a tube 21, provided with perforations 22 and having inclosed within it a lling of porous material 23, such as wicking or the like. The tube may, if desired, be made of wire-gauze or constructed in any other suitable manner so as to support the filling of porous material and permit the passage of the water or other liquid laterally through its walls.

In the construction shown the valve 20 is provided with a spring 20a, which tends to depress or close said valve, and With a down- Wardlyextending stem or projection 20h, which normally rests against the elastic or spring bottom 11 of the water-reservoir. In this construction I have shown the spring 20a as a spiral spring surrounding an upwardlyextending stem 2Oc of the valve and bearing against an abutment 24, which forms the top of a valve-chamber 25, which screws into the bottom of the generating-chamber and'which serves to prevent the valve from becoming clogged and rendered inoperative. The generating-chamber may be ope'n at its top, as in the construction shown, and in this case the.

top or cover 12 of the water-reservoir is provided with a diaphragm 26, having one or more apertures 27, through which the gas may pass. Above this diaphragm is located a disk or washer 28, of leather or other suitable ilexible material, which is free to move vertically a limited distance, but is retained in position at its edge by means of a flange IOC) 29, which extends inward over the edge of the said disk a short distance.

30 indicates the gas-outlet passage, which in the present instance forms a portion of the burner 3l and which is controlled by a valve 32, which may be rotated by hand to regulate the supply of gas to the burner at will. In addition to this hand-valve or stop-cock I provide an automatic controlling-valve 33, which cooperates with a suitable valve-seat St at the mouth of the gas-outlet, said valve being mounted on or controlled by a spring 35, which holds it normally away from its sea-t and a slight distance above the central port-ion of the disk or washer 2S.

In the cover l2 there is formed in the lower portion thereof a circular space 30, surrounding the generating-chamber and connected therewith by openings 37 for the purpose hereinafter described.

3S indicates a cup-shaped device iitting loosely within the generating-chamber and provided with a suitable handle 39, by means of which it may be grasped and moved, said device consisting of a diaphragm i0 and a ey lindrical iiange 41, extending at a right angle to the diaphragm i0, said cylindrical ilange and diaphragm being of an external diameter somewhat less than the internal diameter of the generatilig-chamber 16.

The device thus constructed operates in the following manner: The cover l2 being removed from the water-reservoir l0 by unscrewing the two, the reservoir is Iilled with water to the required amount, and the generating-chamber being disconnected from the cover 12 by unscrewing the same the cupshaped part 3S is removed from the generating-chamber and is inverted from the position shown and filled with carbid of calcium or such other solid material as may b e used, said cup-shaped device thus serving as a measuring device to insure the placing of the proper amount of the carbid of calcium in the generating-chamber in proportion to the water which the reservoir lO is adapted to contain. The cup thus filled is placed mouth downward within the generating-chamber 1U and pressed down, so as to insure the lodgment of the material contained in it in the lower portion of the generating-ehamber. The generatingehamber is then screwed into the top or cover 12and this latter screwed into place in the water-reservoir. When the parts are screwed together into the position shown in the drawing, the end of the stem 2Gb of the valve 2O comes into contact with the bottom 1l of the water-reservoir, and said valve is thereby pressed upward against the resistance of the spring 20C, thereby opening the inlet 19 and permitting the water to pass from the reservoir to the tube 2l, through the porous material 23 of which it percolates, being carried up thereby, and passing through the openings or perforations of said tubes comes into contact with the carbid of calcium or other solid conta-ined in the generating-chamber lf3. Gas is generated by reason of this contact until the pressure caused by the increasing volume of the gas, which pressure is of course equal both in the generating-chamber and iu the water-reservoir as long as the valve 2O is open, detlects or forces outward the elastic diaphragm 1l, whereupon the spring 20c forces the valve 2O downward, closing the inlet-opening 19, and thus cutting oil the supply of water to the generating-chamber. Upon any decrease in the pressure of the gas within the generator by reason of its consumption or otherwise the diaphragm 1l is moved upward or inward by its own elasticity and again opens the valve 20, thus reestablishing the water-supply, when the generation of gas proceeds as before. As the carbid of calcium in the generator becomes moistened it swells or increases in volume, and the cup-shaped member 38 yields upward to accommodate this increase in the volume or" the carbid, while at the same time it maintains it in proper position in the lower portion of the chamber. The gas passes upward be. tween the wall of the generating-chamber and the flange Lt1 and through the openings 27 in the diaphragm 2G, raising the disk or washer 28 sufciently to pass under the same and around its edges through the conduit 30 to the burner 3l, when the valve 32 is opened. Incase of any excessive pressure, due to a toorapid or abnormal generation of gas, the disk or washer 28 will be forced upward until its edge comes in contact with the flange 29, whereupon the upward motion of the edge of the said disk or washer is arrested, but the accumulating pressure under its central portion moves said central portion upward until it comes in contact with the valve 33. Further upward movement of the flexible washer carries the valve 33 upward along with it against the pressure ot` the spring 35, thereby reducing the gas-outlet opening, so as to prevent too much gas from passing to the burner and causing the same to flare up and, if necessary, entirely cutting olf the supply of gas to the burner in ease the gas-pressure becomes too great. Upon a diminution of the abnormal pressure the spring 35 will return the valve 33 to its normal position and the gas will be supplied to the burner in the usual way. rlhe abnormal pressure may be relieved by unscrewing and removing the water chamber or reservoir l0 and then unscrewing the generating-chamber at the joint between the threaded rings 14 and 17.

The disk or washer 2S serves to prevent any water or moisture from being carried up to the burner, so as to clog the same and thus extinguish the dame, since any suoli water or moisture will be deposited during the passage of the gas under said disk or washer. In oase the generator should be inverted or laid upon its side, so that an excessive amount of water would accumulate in the upper portion of the generating-chamber, this water will pass through the openings 37 into the space IOO IIO

or chamber 36, where it will be out of the way and will be prevented from coming into contact with the material in the generating-l chamber and thereby producing an excess of gas when the generator is'righted.

It will be seen that a generator constructed in accordance with my invention is automatic in its action, the water being supplied to the generating-chamber in proportion as the gas produced is consumed, so that a constant supply of gas is maintained, generation going on during consumption and ceasing when the consumption ceases. The employment of the invertible cup insures the use of the proper amount of material and prevents the insertion into the generating-chamber of such an excess of material as might tend to damage or burst said chamber by reason of the increase in volume of said material during the operation of generating the gas. The access of water or moisture to the burner is prevented and any accumulation thereof in the generation-chamber While the generator is in an abnormal position is provided for. EX- cessive pressure is prevented from causing a iiaring or undue increase of the volume by means of the automatic provision controlling the pressure at the outlet. The device is compact, simple, and easily handled and efiicient in operation.

Modications in the details of construction Will readily suggest themselves, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawing.

I claiml. A gas-generator comprising a generating chamber containing a solid and provided with an inlet-opening for a liquid in its bottom wall and with a perforated tube in said chamber connected with said opening and having a iilling of porous material, a valve controlling said opening, a liquid-reservoir connected With said opening and having a Wall comprising an elastic diaphragm operatively engagingl the valve and adapted to normally open the same, and means for closing said valve when said diaphragm yields to the pressure of the generated gas, substantially as described.

2. A gas-generator comprising a generatingchamber adapted to contain a solid and having a substantially rigid wall provided with a liquid-inlet opening having a iixed Valveseat, a valve movable toward and from said seat and controlling said opening, a liquidreservoir connected with said opening and having a wall comprising an elastic diaphragm operatively engaging the valve and adapted to normally open the same, said diaphragm being exposed to atmospheric pressure on one side and to the pressure of the generated gas on the other, and means for closing said valve when said diaphragm yields to the pressure of the generated gas, substantially as described.

3. A gas-generator comprising a generatingchamber adapted to contain a solid, and having a liquid-inlet opening in its bottom wall, a valve controlling said opening, a spring adapted to close said valve, and a liquid-reservoir surrounding the lower portion of said generating-chamber and provided with a bottom comprising an elastic diaphragm opera- ,tively engaging said valve and adapted to normally open the same against the resistance of the spring, substantially as described.

4. A gas-generator comprisinga generatingchamber adapted to contain a solid and having a liquid-inlet opening in its bottom wall and a perforated tube in said chamber connected with said opening and provided with a filling of porous material, a valve controlling said opening, a spring adapted to close said valve, and a liquid-reservoir surrounding the lower portion of said generating-chamber and having a wall comprising an elastic diaphragm operatively engaging said valve and adaptedto normally open the same against the resistance of the spring, substantially as described.

THOMAS BELL.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GooDwIN, IRVINE MILLER. 

